July 2016 – Page 17 – NBA Blog

Miami Heat re-sign Hassan Whiteside

The Miami HEAT have re-signed center Hassan Whiteside. And the numbers are huge: the deal is reportedly a $98 million dollar contract over four years.

Whiteside, the NBA leading shot blocker, appeared in 73 games (43 starts) with the HEAT last season and averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.68 blocks and 29.1 minutes while shooting 60.6 percent from the field. He blocked an NBA-best 269 shots, 92 more than the next highest player in the league, and the second-most blocks during a single-season in HEAT history. He helped anchor Miami’s defense that averaged a franchise-best 6.48 blocks and team-best 531 rejections this season while giving up just 98.4 points per game to opponents, ranking as the third-least amount of points in the Eastern Conference and the fifth-least in the entire NBA. The HEAT finished in the top six for fewest points allowed for the seventh consecutive season, tying for the fifth-longest streak over the last 40 years. He led Miami in rebounds a team-high 55 times and grabbed double-figure rebounds a team-high 53 times, just three short of tying the single-season team record of 56 held by Rony Seikaly in 1991-92. He averaged 11.8 rebounds per game, the highest single-season rebound average in team history and grabbed his 1,000th rebound as a member of the HEAT on February 22, doing so in his 95th game, becoming the all-time quickest player in team history to reach the 1,000-rebound plateau. He posted a team-best 41 double-doubles, ranking tied for eighth-most in the NBA and a team-high three triple-doubles, ranking tied for sixth-most in the league. He recorded 22 five-plus block games, the second-most during a single-season in HEAT history and began the season blocking multiple shots in 21 consecutive games, the third-longest streak to start a season over the last 30 years, only Mark Eaton (1988-89) and Shaquille O’Neal (1992-93) had longer streaks.

Whiteside, who was selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team, became just the second player in NBA history to block at least 250 shots and shoot over 60 percent (.606) from the field, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who accomplished the feat during the 1979-80 season and he also became just the third player over the last 20 years to post at least 1,000 points (1,040) and block at least 250 shots, joining Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo. Additionally, his 9.7 block percentage was the highest in the NBA, no other player had a percentage higher than 6.1.

Hornets sign Brian Roberts

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free-agent guard Brian Roberts.

A four-year NBA veteran, Roberts played with Charlotte in each of the last two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16) before a three-team trade on Feb. 16, 2016, sent him to the Miami Heat, which later traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. Roberts, who originally signed with the Hornets as a free agent on July 23, 2014, played in 102 total games (10 starts) for Charlotte with averages of 6.1 points, 2.0 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game.

In 51 total games played between Charlotte and Portland in 2015-16, Roberts averaged 4.0 points, 1.1 assists and 0.8 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game.

A Toledo, Ohio, native who played collegiately at the University of Dayton, Roberts went undrafted in the 2008 NBA Draft and played internationally for four seasons before signing with New Orleans in 2012-13. Over his four NBA seasons, he has appeared in 273 games (57 starts), averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game with New Orleans, Charlotte and Portland. For his career, Roberts has shot .915 from the free-throw line (303-331), including an NBA-best .940 (125-133) in 2013-14.

Brooklyn Nets sign Jeremy Lin

The man who gave New York a fun dose of Linsanity has returned to the city. Now operating out of Brooklyn now instead of Manhattan.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Jeremy Lin to a multi-year contract. The deal is reportedly a $36 million dollar contract over three years.

“We are excited to welcome Jeremy to Brooklyn,” said Nets’ General Manager Sean Marks. “He is a high character and competitive individual who will fit our culture moving forward, as well as the style of play that Kenny will be implementing. Jeremy is a proven veteran point guard with strong leadership qualities, who is an obvious fit in this system and city.”

Lin (6’3”, 200) has appeared in 369 career games (183 starts) in six NBA seasons with Golden State (2010-11), New York (2011-12), Houston (2012-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15) and Charlotte (2015-16), posting averages of 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.8 minutes per game while shooting .432 from the field and .803 from the free throw line. He has also made three playoff appearances with the Rockets (2013 and 2014) and Hornets (2016), appearing in 17 games and recording averages of 10.1 points and 3.1 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. This past season with Charlotte, the 27-year-old Lin appeared in 78 games (13 starts) and averaged 11.7 points, a career-high 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 26.3 minutes per game. He played in all seven of the Hornets’ first-round playoff games against Miami, recording averages of 12.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.0 minutes per game. After a four-year collegiate career at Harvard, Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft and began his professional career by signing as a free agent with Golden State. While at Harvard, Lin was an All-Ivy League first-team selection as both a junior and senior and an All-Ivy League second-team choice as a sophomore. The Palo Alto, Calif. native is the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.

Cavs trade Matthew Dellavedova to Bucks

The 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired the rights to forward Albert Miralles from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard Matthew Dellavedova and cash considerations. The trade also creates a $4.8 million trade exception for the Cavaliers. Cavs General Manager David Griffin announced the trade today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We wish Delly the best as he continues his career in Milwaukee,” said Griffin. “Delly is a special person on and off the court and was a very dedicated, hard worker that grew as part of our team and made significant contributions to our success. Our coaches and his teammates will always appreciate his ‘all in’ approach to the game, as he was ready to contribute whenever his number was called. We know he will continue to grow and succeed as he takes the next steps of his NBA journey with the Bucks.”

Miralles (6-9, 240) has spent his entire professional career playing overseas, mostly in Spain. Most recently, he has competed for FIATC Joventut, a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Spain, since 2013. Miralles was originally drafted by Toronto with as the 39th overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft.

Dellavedova, 25, spent the last three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, appearing in the NBA Finals each of the past two seasons and winning a championship with the Cavaliers last season. During the 2015-16 season, Dellavedova averaged career highs in points (7.5), assists (4.4), rebounds (2.1), 3-point shooting percentage (.410) and free-throw percentage (.864). The 6-4 guard appeared in 76 games (14 starts) with Cleveland last season, averaging 24.6 minutes per contest.

In 2015-16, Dellavedova’s three-point shooting percentage (41.0) ranked 11th in the NBA, while his 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 10th. In 62 games off the bench, Dellavedova averaged 4.1 assists per game which was the fourth-most in the NBA among reserve players. He had one or less turnovers in 40 games last season.

Dellavedova appeared in all 40 of the Cavaliers playoff games over the last two seasons. In 2015, Dellavedova made seven starts during the playoffs and averaged 7.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds over the course of 20 games. He once again appeared in all 20 playoff games for the Cavs in 2016, averaging 3.9 points in 12.1 minutes per game en route to an NBA Championship.

Originally from Australia, Dellavedova played for Saint Mary’s (CA) College before going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers signed Dellavedova in August of 2013 where he appeared in 72 games (four starts) as a rookie, averaging 4.7 points, 2.6 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game. In 2014-15, Dellavedova made 67 appearances (13 starts) and increased his averages to 4.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds per contest, while shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range. He competed for the World Team in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge at the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend. Dellavedova is a career 39.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc, having shot over 40 percent from three in two of his three seasons in the NBA.

Jazz trade Trey Burke to Wizards

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired guard Trey Burke from the Utah Jazz in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick.

“Trey is a former lottery pick that has had a very good start to his career as a point guard,” said Grunfeld. “We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to add him as our primary backup and feel he will flourish in that role as he continues to develop.”

Burke (6-1, 191) holds career averages of 12.1 points, 4.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 210 career games (111 starts) in three seasons with the Jazz. Last season, the former Michigan standout averaged 10.6 points, 2.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds while shooting a career-high .344 from three-point range in 64 games (no starts). He also added 40 double-digit scoring outputs off the bench for the Jazz, including five games of 20 points or more. During the 2014-15 season, Burke made the third-most threes in a single season (124) in Jazz history.

Burke was originally selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of Michigan, where he was the consensus 2013 National College Player of the Year and led the Wolverines to the NCAA Championship Game. His draft rights were traded to the Jazz in exchange for the rights to Shabazz Muhammad (14th overall pick) and Gorgui Dieng (21st overall pick). He was named to the 2014 NBA All-Rookie First Team (and also earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors three times), after averaging career bests in points (12.8), assists (5.7), rebounds (3.0) and free-throw percentage (.903).

Wizards sign Jason Smith, Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed center Ian Mahinmi, forward Andrew Nicholson and forward/center Jason Smith.

“Ian will give us defense, rebounding and rim protection at the backup center position,” said Grunfeld. “He is a physical, experienced player who proved himself last season as a starter and will provide great depth for our frontcourt.”

Mahinmi (6-11, 262) is coming off a career year with Indiana. During his 2015-16 campaign, he averaged career-highs of 9.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting .589 from the floor in 71 games (all starts), helping the Pacers return to the playoffs. His .589 field goal percentage set a Pacers NBA franchise record. Mahinmi has appeared in 438 games (92 starts) with has averages of 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting .536 from the field over eight seasons with San Antonio, Dallas and Indiana. He has also appeared in 56 career playoff games, including six games during the Mavericks’ 2011 title run. Originally selected by San Antonio with the 28th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft as an international prospect, Mahinmi played multiple seasons with STB LeHavre in France prior to coming to the NBA. He was also a member of the French National Team from 2006-11.

“Andrew is a very intriguing young talent who has shown the ability to score from both inside and outside as he has developed throughout his career,” said Grunfeld. “His skill set will help bolster our frontcourt depth and we feel he has good potential to continue to improve.”

Nicholson (6-9, 250) holds career averages of 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting .473 from the field and .336 from three-point range in 247 career games (36 starts) over four seasons with Orlando. In 56 games last season, the St. Bonaventure alum averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting .471 from the field and a career-high .360 (41-114) from three-point range. The Mississaugua, Ontario, native was originally selected by Orlando with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Nicholson has also played with the Canadian National Team.

“Jason’s ability to play both forward and center increases our depth and his outside touch will allow us to use different looks off the bench,” said Grunfeld. “He also provides us with toughness and more size in the frontcourt.”

Smith (7-0, 245) holds career averages of 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting .466 from the field in 489 career games (98 starts) over nine seasons with Philadelphia, New Orleans, New York and Orlando. Last season with the Magic, he averaged 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 76 games. Over the last five seasons, Smith has averaged 8.6 points and during the 2011-12 campaign, he tallied a career-high 9.9 points per game with New Orleans. With the Pelicans in 2013-14, he averaged 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 31 games (27 starts). The former Colorado State Ram was originally selected by Miami with the 20th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Warriors officially sign Kevin Durant

Team that won 73 games last regular season just added a superstar

The Golden State Warriors officially signed free agent forward Kevin Durant today. The deal is reportedly a $54 million dollar contract over two years.

A six-time All-NBA Selection (five First Team, one Second Team) and four-time single-season scoring leader, Durant was named the league MVP in 2013-14, tallying a career-best and league-leading 32.0 points per game.

Durant, 27, posted averages of 28.2 points, a career-high 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.18 blocks and 35.8 minutes in 72 games in 2015-16, earning his seventh consecutive NBA All-Star nod and becoming the first player to average at least 28 points, eight boards and five assists since Michael Jordan in 1988-89. The 6-9 forward led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in the last six seasons, falling to the Warriors in a hard-fought, seven-game series. Durant led all scorers in the postseason with 28.4 points to go with 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 40.3 minutes over 18 games.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Durant owns averages of 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.21 steals, 1.00 blocks and 37.8 minutes in 641 games (all starts) with the Thunder. Durant ranks as the Thunder franchise’s all-time leader in free throws (4,599) and three-point field goals (1,143) while ranking second in scoring (17,566), third in field goals made (5,912), fourth in rebounds (4,518), fourth in blocks (639), fourth in minutes (24,208), sixth in games played (641), seventh in assists (2,363) and eighth in steals (774).

The Washington, D.C., native has shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last four seasons and owns career percentages of 48.3 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the free throw line. In 2012-13, Durant became the sixth player in NBA history to qualify for the league minimums in the 50/40/90 club (hit at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the line), a group that was joined by Stephen Curry in 2015-16.

Originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant captured Rookie of the Year honors in Seattle in 2007-08 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. In his lone collegiate season at the University of Texas in 2006-07, Durant was named the National Player of the Year and earned the Adolph Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award and Wooden Award, becoming the first-ever freshman in NCAA history to win any of those awards.

Durant will wear #35 for the Warriors.

Magic sign second round draft pick Stephen Zimmerman

The Orlando Magic have signed rookie center Stephen Zimmerman, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

Zimmerman was selected by Orlando in the second round (41st overall) of NBA Draft 2016.

Zimmerman (#33, 7’0”, 240, 9/9/96) played in 26 games (24 starts) with UNLV as a freshman last season, averaging 10.5 ppg., a team-high 8.7 rpg. and a team-high 1.96 blkpg. in 26.2 minpg. He ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots and third in rebounding. Zimmerman scored in double figures 17 times, including a career-high 21 points on Feb. 2 @ New Mexico. He pulled down 10+ rebounds 13 times, including a career-best 16 boards on Jan. 19 @ Utah State.

While at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Zimmerman led the Gaels to four straight state championships, becoming the only player in Nevada history to accomplish the feat at the large-school level. His 114 career wins also made him the winningest player in school history. As a senior (2014-15), Zimmerman was selected as both a McDonald’s All-American and a Jordan Brand All-American, after averaging 14.7 ppg., 10.1 rpg., 4.2 apg., 2.4 blkpg and 1.2 stlpg.

During the summer of 2014, Zimmerman was a member of USA Basketball’s U18 National Team, which won gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championships. He averaged 8.8 ppg., 6.2 rpg. and 1.2 blkpg. in five outings. Zimmerman teamed with Myles Turner, Justise Winslow and Stanley Johnson on that squad. He also played for the U.S. team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.

Chicago Bulls sign Rajon Rondo

Rondo’s new teammates will include Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has signed guard Rajon Rondo. The deal is reportedly a $28 million dollar contract over two years.

“We are very excited to add Rajon to our organization. He is a tremendous competitor and a championship-level player,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He is a battle-tested veteran who has been an All-Star and NBA Champion. He is a terrific distributor and playmaker who we feel be a great addition to our team.”

The new-look Bulls will be one of the NBA’s most fascinating chemistry experiments next season. Point guard Rondo, new shooting guard Dwyane Wade (not yet signed), and Jimmy Butler, who presumably will play undersized small forward, will have a lot of adjusting to do. And none of them prefer to shoot three-pointers, so stretching the court will be a challenge.

However, they are all supremely talented players. So what we’re saying is, yes, there’s a chance.

Rondo (6-1, 186), a 10-year NBA veteran, joins the Bulls after spending last season with the Sacramento Kings. He began his career with the Boston Celtics as a first-round draft pick (21st overall) in 2006 and spent eight full seasons in Boston before being traded to Dallas during the 2014-15 season.

Rondo was a starter on the Celtics’ NBA Championship squad in 2008 and made four consecutive All Star appearances while with Boston in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was Third Team All-NBA in 2011-12 and made four straight NBA All-Defensive teams in 2008-09 (2nd), 2009-10 (1st), 2010-11 (1st) and 2011-12 (2nd). He was also named to the All-Rookie Second-Team in 2006-07. Rondo has led the league in assists per game for a season three times, most recently last year (11.7 apg), and also in 2011-12 (11.7 apg) and 2012-13 (11.1 apg).

In 2015-16, along with the league-leading 11.7 apg, he posted 11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg and a career-best .365 3-point percentage while notching 37 double-doubles (12th-most in the league) and six triple-doubles (third-most in the league). He and Russell Westbrook were the only two players in the NBA last year to average at least 10.0 ppg, 10.0 apg and 5.0 rpg for the season. Rondo’s 839 total assists ranked first in the NBA, his 1.96 spg ranked seventh, his 35.2 mpg ranked 17th, and he had an assist-to-turnover of 3:1.

Over his career, Rondo has played in 645 regular season games (592 starts) with averages of 11.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.7 apg and 1.8 spg in 32.9 mpg. He has made it to the postseason six times, posting 14.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 9.1 apg and 1.9 spg in 38.0 mpg through 94 playoff games (94 starts).

Hawks re-sign Kent Bazemore

Big money for a talented player who can still improve

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed guard Kent Bazemore, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. The deal is reportedly a $70 million dollar contract over four years.

Bazemore, 27, set single-season career highs nearly every statistical category last year, his second in Atlanta, after averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 27.8 minutes (.441 FG%, .357 3FG%, .815 FT%) in 75 games (68 starting assignments). He ranked second on the club in steals per game and free throw percentage, and third in rebounds per game and three-pointers made (109). The four-year veteran scored in double-figures 41 times, including 11 20-point outings, and posted his first career double-double (at Detroit on Mar. 16).

“We are excited to re-sign Kent and welcome him back to the Hawks,” Budenholzer said. “His passion for the game is contagious and through his tireless work ethic, he has developed into a dynamic two-way player. We look forward to his continued development with us.”

The 6’5 guard originally signed with the Hawks as free agent on Sept. 23, 2014 after spending parts of his first two years with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season in an Atlanta uniform (2014-15) he posted 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.6 minutes in 75 games (10 starts).

Bazemore owns career averages of 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16.5 minutes, seeing action in 278 games (93 starts).